Zohran Mamdani has more than Earned It

I started working on this hours before the election was called, and told myself that even if for some unlikely reason, Mamdani was not able to pull it off, well, I would still consider it a win for what his campaign was able to do: Bring people who want actual change together, not just in a city where the election was held, but for an entire country looking for any good left in its politics.

As Wired had dubbed him, he became the Internet's mayor. Not because of his use of social media to get the attention needed to fire up his campaign, but he was able to do just that: bring some good politics at the forefront to those who were paying attention, politics only a candidate like Mamdani could bring. I mean, I am close enough to New York City and I've been known to frequent said city from time to time, but the fact that his celebrity has gone beyond the city of New York's borders, that should tell you how powerful his messaging is. Do you follow any mayoral elections outside your own city? I usually don't. And yet, people beyond the east coast were and are paying attention.

Of course, you do have to give a lot of that credit to his campaign's use of social media. Unlike those before him, however, instead of using social media to spread the negatives of the opposition (not that they really had any when it came to Mamdani), or creating slop for the sake of making cruel arguments against a marginalized group, the Mamdani campaign took it the other way. They wanted actual change. They wanted you to know that they– Mamdani– was doing it to make New York City affordable for its citizens, for its people. Best thing of all, they wanted to bring hope back through their politics. Not make promises that would be broken once someone with purse strings offered them enough, but Mamdani and his campaign wanted to let you know that there actually might be politicians who want good things for the people they represent.

The campaign showcased who Mamdani was and what he wanted for his city. He never ran away from those who told him it was impossible. When that didn't seem to work, they turned to everything else, from calling him Antisemitic, to straight-up racism. Instead of ignoring the ugliness, Mamdani confronted it. And Mamdani showed up as well– his campaign and the man himself hit the streets so people could meet him, so they could see he was one of them.

Cuomo, meanwhile, turned to AI slop, a man who said he was the only one who could take on Donald Trump before being endorsed by Trump himself.

While Cuomo himself and his campaign made it seem that he deserved the position because he was once (a disgraced) governor. Because his father was once also governor, because he was part of a dynasty. Because he thought he could coast on his name recognition alone, without any of the work or care for those he would represent. Because he is a nepo baby.

Because he had two and a half times more in backing or targeting Mamdani- $56 million, a lot of which came from super PACs, a lot of that came from billionaires targeting Mamdani at the eleventh hour.

Mamdani didn't need the extra attack money, in fact it it wasn't for New York City's matching funds program, he probably would not have the resources needed to compete with the billionaire money. Instead, Mamdani showed that by talking directly to your voters about what you'd like to accomplish, what you are about, by doing so, you can win elections. There are no "purse strings" to keep happy, just people.

But I don't have to tell you all this - the man can do that for himself:

It's all right there- but my favorite part of this speech is this part:

"After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.

This is not only how we stop Trump; it’s how we stop the next one. So, Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up."

This says it all – only by getting away from the politics of the past, the corrupt systems of the past, both system and politics that have become bloated and corrupt, can we, as a country, have a real future. To get away from the same politics that made it so that there is a Trump administration. And then Mamdani follows that messaging up by also saying that he knows Trump will take it to the next level and to well, bring it.

This is what his campaign has been all about.

Mamdani has never shied away from "bring it", but unlike other politicians, he hasn't made attacking his opponent part of his brand. He has made the people of New York and their needs his brand. He might have been dubbed by Wired as the Internet's mayor, but I would take it a step further and dub him America's mayor– a title that was given to a ghoul who was in the position at the right time, who could have done something more with that title, instead becoming a laughing stock in more ways than one, but rather, Mamdani could become America's mayor for the example he'll set for others. That you have to change with the times, that you have to consider this country's future and prepare for that future, not just hope it runs fine. This could be the start of something great. It at least seems like part of the start to a new Democratic wave, which has Trump worried and Republicans in panic.

One thing is for certain- we need a new type of politician. One with an actual pulse. One who actually listens to what the people want instead of politicians who would rather just govern it on its previous norms, and who would rather not govern at all if it meant hurting their bottom line.

We need a new type of politician to guide us away from where we are now. Mamdani is the start of that new breed. One who doesn't have to show you an ugliness in his politics by lowering himself to that ugly level, rather, focusing on the work he wants to get done while their opponent show that ugliness on their own. And if there is ugliness to confront, he will confront it. He will let his voice be heard loud and clear on the front lines with those he is fighting and for the sake of those he is fighting for.

This is the man New York City elected for its mayor. I'm proud of New York and its voters. If I could, I would have voted for him too.

Also- some bonus listening:

Actually pretty good.